Feed-regulator for mixing-machines.



J. N. RAUBER & S. FINLEY.

FEED REGULATOR FOR MIXING MACHINES.

APPLIGA'I'ION FILED MAR.25, 1907.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. N. RAUBER & S. FINLEY.

FEED REGULATOR FOR MIXING MACHINES.

nrmoumn FILED 11111.25, 1907.

1,012,915. Patented B61126, 1911.

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J. N. RAUBER & S. PINLEY.

FEED REGULATOR FOB. MIXING MACHINES.

APPLIOATIOH TILED MALZG, 1907.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

J. N. RAUBBR & S. FINLEY.

FEED REGULATOR FOR MIXING monmns.

APPLIUATION FILED MAILQB, 1907.

Patented B04126, 1911.

5 SHEETS-S HEET 4.

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J. N. RAUBER & S. FINLBY. FEED REGULATOR FOB. MIXING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.25, 1907.

Patented Dec.26, 1911.

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l i i-W95 M? W my scum-u will" QOHWAIIIMTOM D CV UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN N. RAUBER, OF ROCHESTER, AND SAMUEL FINLEY, 0F GENESEO, NEW YORK; SAID FINLEY ASSIGNOR 1'0 SAID BAUBEBN Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application filed March 25, 1907. .Serial No. 364,285.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN N. RAUBER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe, and SAMUEL FINLEY, of Geneseo, in the county of Livingston, both in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Regulators for Mixing-Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

Our present invention relates to machines adapted to be employed for mechanically mixing ingredients of different characteristics, such as those forming the component parts of concrete, and it has for its object to provide an apparatus designed to discharge said ingredients in predetermined quantities, from the hoppers in which they are contained into a movable drum or chamber which will cause them to interlnix.

The invention has for its further object to provide a machine capable of being operated continuously, the parts of which are so arranged that they may be adjusted to supply the several ingredients in different proportions to vary the composition of the batch, said parts being also capable of ready removal and insertion to permit their replacement when rendered unserviceable from wear or other causes.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a mixing machine constructed in accordance with our present invention. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of one of the plungers of the device. Fig. '2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of the forward end of the mixing chamber. Fig. 3 is a detail rear elevation of the driving mechanism. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the hopper. Fig. 5 is a central cross sectional view thereof taken on the line 5 5" of Fig. 4, showing the inner side of the forward end of the hopper. is a detail perspective view of one of the removable bottom sections. Fig. 7 is a sim- Fig. 6

ilar detail View, illustrating the adjustment of the driving connections. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional-view illustrating the clutch mechanism, and Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the wrist pins.

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

In illustrating one embodiment of the in vention we have shown a mixing machine designed particularly for making batches of concrete, such as is used for building purposes, composed of crushed stone, cement and sand, and while the description will be confined to such a machine, it will be understood that an apparatus embodying the invention is equally well adapted for forming mixtures, or batches of other ingredients.

The machine comprises generally a base or frame 1, mounted upon any suitable form of support, carrying at its rear end a table top 2 on which rests the hopper casing 3 containing devices for discharging material from its several compartments 1nto a revolu ble mixing drum or cylinder 4. The latter is provided at its forward and rear ends with annular rings 5 and 6 resting upon small rollers 7 and 8, on shafts 9 and 10, journaled in bearings 15 supported upon cross pieces 16 of the frame 1. The shafts 9 and 10 are separated a suflicient distance to securely support the drum on their respective rollers to prevent its accidental displacement, its lengthwise movement being prevented by the flanges on said rollers which project over the edges of the rings 5 and 6. Rotary movement is imparted to the drum or cylinder by a gear ring 17 secured thereto and meshing wlth a pinion 18 on the shaft 9, which latter is extended rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, and is connected by bevel pinions 19 to a vertical countershaft 20, the latter being similarly connected by bevel pinions 21 to the driving shaft 22. The latter extends transversely of the frame 1 in rear of the hopper casing and is supported in bearings on brackets 23. This shaft is provided with a pulley 24 adapted to receive a belt 25, connected to any suitable form of motor device. The driving pulley may be attached to the shaft, but it is preferable to journal it thereon and form a driving connection therewith through a friction clutch, such as shown in Fig. 8, comprisin a face plate 30 which is keyed to the sha t and permitted a slight longitudinal movesaid plate being normally held with the face of the pulley 24 or a washer 31 of leather or other material interposed therebetween, by a sprlng 32, the outer end of which bears against a collar 33 rigidly connected to the shaft.

The hopper casing includes a plurality f hoppers, three being shown in the present instance, indicated by A, B spectively to hold crushed stone, cement and sand, two of which are arranged side by side, the third being located centrally above them. These hoppers are preferably formed as compartments in a single structurecomprising forward and rear end plates 34 and 35, connected by inclined side pieces 40 and 41, provided at their ends with ears or lugs 42, by means of which they may be bolted or riveted to the end pieces, as shown particularly in Fig. 5. The bottom pieces are arranged in an inclined position with their lower edges conver ing so that material placed therein will e caused to gravitate downwardly toward the center of the casing, which is divided longitudinally by a central wall or plate 43 on which is supported the ment thereon, in engagement bottom 44 of the chamber or compartment B, included between the side walls 45 and 46 which diverge upwardly and are secured to the end plates 34 and 35 by bolts or rivets passing through the flanges 47.

Reciprocating longitudinally of the respective hoppers are plungers a, which are preferably circular in cross sectionand rest in segmentally shaped seats formed in the bottoms of said hoppers. Owing to the abrasive action of the gritty particles of the in redients employed in concrete mixtures, w ich cause excessive wear of the plungers and their seats, the latter are so constructed that they may be readily disconnected and new ones inserted in their place. To this end these parts are constructed, as shown in Fig. 6, and each of them 18 provided with a laterally extending flange 48, provided with erforations 49 adapted to receive bolts 50, y means of which they may be secured to the sides 40 and 41 0f their respective hoppers. At their opposite'edges they are provided with similar flanges 55 adapted to be united by bolts 56 to laterally extendin flanges 57 on the lower end of the central division wall 43. Both the flanges 48 and 55 are offset to provide shoulders 58 and 59, against which the cooperating portions of the hopper bottoms abut to form smooth interior surfaces. The removable seats are also united to the ends of the hopper by bolts passing throu h lugs 60 thereon and they are further provi ed at their forward ends with scat extensions 61 and at their rear ends with similar extensions 62, each of which projects through its corresponding end plate, the former providing a discharging lip and the latter a support for the plu'ngers when the latand O, adapted re-,

ter are in retracted position. The bottom of the hopper or compartment B is likewise removable and is provided at its ends with attaching ears 63 and at its lateral edges with flanges 64 adapted to be connected, by bolts 65, to the side walls 45 and 46 of said compartment. On its outer lower surface it is provided with a channel formed between ribs 7 O which are adapted to engage opposite sides of the upward extension of the central division wall 43.

On the forward endlplate 34 of the hopper are discharge chutes which project into the adjacent open end of the mixing drum or cylinder 4, as shown in Fig. 4. The chutes arranged in front ofthe hoppers A and C are provided with curved bottoms 71 and at their proximate edges are upwardly extending converging side flanges 72. The chute located in front of the discharge opening of the hopper 13 comprises side walls 73 and a flat triangular. bottom 74, from the edges of which are downwardly extending aprons 75 which cause material advancing over the chute to be directed laterally onto the underlying surfaces 72 of the lower chutes. In order, however, to direct said discharge, to cause the cement to admix either with the crushed stone or sand, or with both, an adjustable wing '76 is mounted centrally in front of the discharge aperture and is supported upon an upwardly extending journal post 77 carrying an ad'usting lever 7 8 having a handle 79 adapte to engage in one or another of the several notches, indicated by 80;

The driving shaft 22 is located in rear of the hopper casing and rotated thereby are a plurality of driven elements, or crank disks 81, 82 and 83,.arranged with their axes in alinement with the several hoppers A, B and O, and connected to the respective pistons there-in'by pi-tmen a, b and c. A convenient manner of arra ging these elements is illustrated in and 3, wherein the two disks 81 and 83 are shown as connected to a shaft 84, journaled in a bearing 85 on one of the brackets 23, and the disk 82 is shown as supported by an axle journaled in the bearing 86 provided on the upwardly and forwardly projecting extremity of said bracket. J ournaled on the shaft 22 is a sleeve 87 which is located within the bearing on one of the brackets 23 and is provided at one end with a pinion 88, cooperating with gear teeth cut in the face of the disk 82, andhaving at its opposite extremity a similar pinion 89, cooperating with the gear teeth on the face of the disk 83. Rotary movement is imparted to these pinions by a clutch connection on the shaft 22 comprising in the present instance a longitudin'ally movable collar 90 secured to the shaft by a key 91 and provided with projections 92, adapted to enter recesses in the side face of the pinion 89, said collar being provided with an annular channel 92 into opposite sides of which project pins 93 carried on an operating) handle 94, journaled at its lower end on a lock 95, secured to the table top 2. By means of a clutch connection arranged between the driving shaft and the driven elements the operator is permitted to discontinue the feeding of the material from the hoppers without arresting the rotary movement of the mixing drum or cylinder, the rotation of which may be continued until its contents have been thoroughly mixed. In order to provide means for adjusting the throw of the pistons a, b and 0, whereby the proportionate quantities of the different materials ejected from the hoppers may be controlled, each of the disks 81, 82 and 83 is provided with a radially extending slot or aperture, as shown in Fig. 7, in which the wrist pins 96, shown in Fig. 9, connected on the ends of the pitmen, may be secured by drawing their heads 97 into engagement with the serrated surfaces 98 and forcing the clamping collars 99 into engagement with the opposite faces of the disks by the rotation of the nuts 100.

When it is desired to apply water or other fluid to the mixture it may be supplied by a pipe 101 which extends longitudinally of the hopper and is supported in a perforation 102 provided in the central division wall 43. The perforated end of said pipe, indicated by 103, is located a suitable distance beyond the point where the several ingredients are deposited in the drum or cylinder 4, thus permitting the various substances to be thoroughly mixed in a dry condition before the water is applied thereto. By projecting the pipe 101 through the center of the hopper casing, it does not interfere with the operation of the other parts of the apparatus and its discharge end is located centrally of the mixing drum.

The apertures through which the crushed stone and sand is ejected from the hoppers A and C are made somewhat greater in height than the diameter of the pistons in order to prevent the engagement of large pieces of stone, or foreign objects, from becoming wedged between the end of the piston and the upper edge of said aperture, which might cause the front wall 34 of the hopper to be broken. The side walls of the apertures are protected from a like injury by inwardly extending wings or flanges 104 which taper downwardly toward their inner ends to form deflecting surfaces, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, preventing the material descending along the bottoms of the hoppers, adjacent to the forward wall, from falling into the forward end of the piston seats. When the hoppers are filled with material these wings serve to relieve the side pressure of the mass on that portion resting in the forward end of the piston seat so that when the plunger advances said material will be ejected without engagement with the side edges of the discharge aperture, and as the upper edge of the latter is above the piston ample space is provided for the outward passage of the bottom portion of the mass. In this connection it may be stated that in the practical construction of the machine the partsare so pro ortioned that when the pistons are moved orwardly in their maximum movements their forward ends are a short distance in rear of the forward wall of the hopper casing, so that in the event a bridge is formed between the latter and the advancing end of the piston, for instance by the end to end engagement of two or more pieces of stone, space is permitted in which they may be deflected to prevent damaging the apparatus.

The mixing cylinder or drum 4 is rovided interiorly with a plurality of projecting flanges 105, which may be made continuous as shown or composed of rows of projections or fingers. These flanges, however formed, are arranged spirally as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and are so located in relation to the direction of movement of the drum that the material deposited in the rear end of the latter will be transported in a forward direction during the mixing operation to be eventually discharged from the drum, thus permitting the latter to be arranged in a horlzontal position and materially simplifying its construction.

Extending forwardly from the side pieces of the frame 1 and projecting upwardly therefrom are two arms 106 supporting a journal 107 on which is pivotally suspended a discharge chute 108. The latter is curved and arranged with its rear end projecting within the open outer end of the cylinder or drum a sufiicient distance to normally retain the chute in horizontal position to receive the material which is carried upwardly within the cylinder and is deposited thereon.

109 indicates a handle by means of which the chute may be tilted into an inclined po sition, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, to deposit, at intervals, the material thereon into a suitable receptacle 110.

A mixing machine constructed in accordance with this invention consists of few parts which are simple in construction and capable of being readily assembled and it is particularly adapted for the purpose de scribed, as the proportions of crushed stone, sand and cement may be regulated to provide mixtures for all classes of work, for which concrete may be employed.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a mixing machine, the combination with a plurality of hoppers, reciprocating pistons in said hoppers adapted to move in parallel lines for discharging given quantities of material therefrom, of driving mechanism for imparting a differential movement to said pistons simultaneously and adjustable connections between said mechanism and said pistons for varying their relative movements to control the quantities of material discharged from the several hoppers.

2. In a mixing machine, the combination with a hopper comprising side and end walls and division Walls located between the side walls dividing it into a plurality of compartments, of a piston reciprocating in each compartment in a direct-ion longitudinally thereof, a removable bottom piece for each compartment forming a bearing seat for the piston, mechanism for operating the pistons.

23. In a mixing machine, the combination with a mixing chamber, of a hopper comprising two lower compartments and an upper compartment, spouts projecting from the lower compartments into the mixing chamber and a spout projecting from the upper compartment into the mixing chamber and arranged to discharge onto both of the lower spouts.

4. In a mixing machine, the combination with three hoppers, means for ejecting material therefrom and spouts leading from two of the hoppers arranged side by side, of a third spout leading from the other hopper arranged centrally above the other spouts,

an adjustable gate for directing the flow of material from said third spout into either of the other spouts.

5. In a mixing machine, the combination with a hopper comprising end pieces, inclined sides and a central divisional Wall, of two separate bottom pieces detachably connected to said sides and division wall, other division walls connecting the end pieces forming a central compartment and a bottom resting on the central Wall and detachably connected to said division Walls, pistons movable longitudinally in the compartments, means for reciprocating them.

6. In a mixing machine, the combination with a driving shaft having two pinions thereon, a countershaft arranged at one side of the plane of the driving shaft and a gear wheel thereon inter-meshing with one of the pinions and a separate gear wheel intermeshing with the other pinion having an axle journaled in a bearing located at the other side of the plane of the driving shaft, of two hoppers, pistons therein and adjust able crank connection between them and said countershaft, a third hopper, a piston therein, similar connections between it and the last mentioned gear wheel.

JOHN N. RAUBER. SAMUEL FINLEY.

Witnesses:

RUssnLL B. GRIFFITH, FLORENCE E. FRANK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). G."

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